Civic Building at One Veterans Plaza
Civic | ExteriorLOCATION: | Silver Spring, Maryland |
COMPLETED: | 2010 |
SIZE: | 52,000 sq. ft. |
OWNERS: | Montgomery County |
ARCHITECT: | Machado and Silvetti Associates, Inc. |
AWARDS: | 2011 IES Illumination Award of Merit |
2011 AIA Maryland Design Award | |
2011 AIA New England Design Award | |
2011 BSA Honor Award for Design Excellence | |
PHOTOGRAPHER: | © Anton Grassl / Esto, © Lam Partners |
DESIGN TEAM: | Paul Zaferiou |
Jennifer Pieszak | |
A monumental frame creates the backdrop for this urban plaza. The proscenium-like frame comes to life through expansive washes of light, while civic pride glows from within.
High-performance asymmetric floodlights, concealed at the civic building’s roof and base, boldly animate the wood-lined arch to announce the great hall entry. Recessed wallwashers highlight orange interior walls and opal fluorescent pendants adorn the prefunction space.
Community involvement and civic pride forged the project. A beloved swath of Astroturf was transformed into the county civic building, landscaped plaza space, and a multifunction pavilion sheltering a seasonal ice rink, arranged as a sequence of active outdoor rooms within the vibrant retail district.
The pavilion itself grabs center stage when a timeclock starts DMX-controlled evening shows. Color-changing floodlights mounted to catwalks on the roof illuminate diffuse glass panels, and are easily accessed for maintenance.
Steplights integrated into concrete benches form a procession connecting with recessed rectangular downlights indoors. Glowing uplit trees contrast softly with building geometries.
All plaza walkways are illuminated without any pole-mounted hardware – fluorescent handrails even light plaza stairs. Integrated lighting that reinforces the plaza’s main axis allows strolling and socializing without clutter.